


Iron Fences

by BlueBioluminescence



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Chapel is california-mexican, Close Quarters, F/F, Historical AU, NOT Period typical homophobia because I say so, No I do not explain why Vulcan’s have a settlement of earth, No the city is not the las vegas you are thinking of, Period Typical Violence, Period Typical names for locations, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Pet Adoption (Do cows count?), Polyamory, Rand is a white woman from Kentucky, Rescuing animals from animal cruelty, Set in 1886 because that’s important, Set in New Mexico and general southwest, T’Pring is still Vulcan from California, Uhura is a black native amarican women from new mexico, Western AU, animal cruelty, liberal use of true historical events, star trek bingo, they just do.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25994908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueBioluminescence/pseuds/BlueBioluminescence
Summary: After finding out she has been arraigned to be wed T’Pring runs away to the wilds of the Southwest where they say freedom and adventure is promised.This is a fill for Trek Bingo involving the following prompts: Historical AU, Western, pet adoption, bed sharing, Gun?!Set in 1886 in the New Mexico territory and is inspired by the history of the region, specifically Las Gorras Blancas (Chapter 1) and the Big Die Up (Chapter 2)
Relationships: Christine Chapel/Janice Rand/Nyota Uhura, T'Pring/Nyota Uhura
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Iron Fences

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that, given the location this story takes place and the people involved in this story that, in most every instance people are speaking Spanish. The few times when another language is spoken it is denoted by Italics. I wanted to make sure that the text was readable and, let's be honest, my Spanish isn’t that good.

### IRON FENCES

#### PARTE UNO 

Con el alambre vino hambre

_With the wire came hunger_

———-

######  _October_

##### Las Mujeres 

T’Pring wasn’t sure what exactly she had expected when she had packed her bags, pocketed as much money as she could carry, and made her way to Los Angeles to hop the first train she could get out of California. It hadn’t been the most logical plan she was certain, but she wasn’t feeling like being very _logical_ when she was being married off to a wealthy politician's son simply to secure family ties. She had protested of course, expressed her displeasure in the match, but the logic of the match had won out against her protests in her family’s eyes. Their mental compatibility was seen as more important than their physical and social compatibility. 

Which left her with a ticket to the farthest location she could get that her family would not think to look for her at: a cattle town in the middle of the New Mexico territory called ‘Las Vegas’. The trip was long and arduous with many stops along the way for food, water, and for passengers to depart as needed. She pushed her unease away at the length of time it was all taking, she could no more speed up the train then she could outrun it. She would simply have to accept that she would reach her destination when she reached it.

Still, as the landscape flashed by her window, only slightly obscured by the black smoke of burning coal, she couldn’t help but feel freer then she had in her whole life.

\--------------

“Look at the new girl.”

“Is that a Vulcan?”

“I’ve never seen one outside of the colony in California. Wonder what she is doing out here.”

The voices followed her into the saloon as she made her way through towards a vacant table. The place was dark, the lamp lights doing little get ease the gloom of night from outside. It was clean though, if one ignored the dust of the floor. Given the high desert around them she supposed it was inevitable.

She had just put down her bag and taken a seat when her ears picked up a women’s voice, a little rough with maybe one too many cigarettes, from across the room.

“She’s kinda cute. Should we go chat?” It asked and she very studiously ignored it as she took a moment to dig through her pockets, looking for what change she still had on hand to get herself a room and food. 

“Well, we certainly should before one of these boys gets an idea. Come on, lets see what’s dragged the newbie in.” A new voice. Less strained with the after-effects of smoking and slightly more musical. T’Pring found herself hoping then, as her ears trained on the other conversation around her, that the two speakers would approach. It seemed her Vulcan nature truly was drawing unwanted attention from the local men. 

“Hey sweetheart.” A voice said from across her table, startling her from her contemplations as she looked up. “Names Uhura,” the dark skinned woman before her smiled, soft and warm. She didn’t hold out her hand for T’Pring to shake and instead leaned slightly on the vacant chair across from her. Her clothing was traditionally male of the cowboy variety and covered in a fine layer of dust. T’Pring watched as her slight shift in movement dislodged some and sent it spiraling into the lamplight around them. “we haven’t seen you around these parts before. You come in on the last train?”

At the mention of “we” T’Pring realized that there were, in fact, two other women standing over Uhura’s shoulder. A woman with short, wavy brown hair which fell just to her ears on which hung two turquoise earrings. She had a sun-tanned tone to her skin though T’Pring could not tell if it was due to her having worked too many hours outdoors or if the brown skin was more innate. Beside her the third woman of the group was chewing ideally at an unlit cigarette, both her complexion and hair so light that she almost looked like a ghost in the sharp flickering lights of the tavern. She was watching T’Pring with an interested tilt of her head but there was something almost off putting in the harsh gaze of her eyes. The other women by comparison looked friendlier, though T’Pring realized quickly that there was also a calculating edge to her also. An interest that the woman was looking her over with, not as scrutinizing as her companion but still there. 

T’Pring shifted her attention back to Uhura in front of her who was giving her a calming and reassuring smile. T’Pring almost spoke up to tell her that Vulcans did not need to be reassured but realized it was unlikely to go over well. 

“Yes. I have.” She settled on instead, answering the question asked of her.

“Mind if I buy you a drink?” Uhura asked, indicating to the empty table that stood between them “You look like you could use one.”

“I only require water. Alcohol does nothing for Vulcans.” 

“That right?” The corner of Uhura’s lip turned up just a little more, a teasing look. “Well then let me get you a meal. Me and my girls recently just got off a run and we’ve got some extra cash to throw around.”

“A...run?” T’Pring asked, finally indicating to the chairs in front of her for the other women to take a seat. It was obvious they weren’t trying to start anything and the company would be nice, if only to keep others away.

“A cattle run.” Uhura explained as she sat across from her, the brown haired woman sitting at her side, while the blond went to the bar, likely to get them some drinks. “We’re Vaqueras and it’s the time of year where the cattle are brought south from the summer pastures to the winter pastures down here.”

T’Pring ‘humed’ in mild interest “Does this work pay well?”

“Why?” Uhura prompted, leaning forward over the table, “You looking for a job sweetheart?”

“Perhaps.” T’Pring agreed. She would need one eventually and while she knew nothing about cattle ranching, her own people being vegetarian, she was aware the Vulcan’s increased strength often made them ideal for such tasks as farm hands.

“Well I’ll let you think on it and while you do we can chat about some other things.” She smiled up at the blond haired woman as she appeared once more, this time with drinks in hand, three beers and a water. “This here is Rand.” She said, indicating to the woman handing out the drinks, “and this lovely lady is Chapel.” The brown haired woman to her right, “They’re my companions you could say.”

T’Pring raised a slow eyebrow at that. “You work together?” She asked, trying to receive greater clarification.

Uhura shrugged, picking up her drink and taking a drag of it, “Work together, travel together, live together and, oh, some other stuff together too if you know what I mean.” she winked. 

T’Pring blinked. Then blinked again before looking at each of the three women slowly, “You...are in a sexual relationship? All three of you?”

Uhura just smiled widely and from beside her Chapel let out a small laugh, like the ringing of bells. 

“Only sometimes.” Chapel said, smiling happily as she held up her hand in a Vulcan salute. “Live long and Prosper. It is nice to see a Vulcan again by the way, it has been a while.”

It was a graceful change in topic that T’Pring allowed. “You are familiar with my people?”

“I’m from San Fran originally.” She agreed with a nod, “A nurse, I got to meet a number of you guys before I headed out here.” Chapel explained, her own drink in hand reminding T’Pring that she had been brought water as well.

“Why is it that you left?”

Chapel waved her hand lightly, indicating to the room around them, “Because out there I was a _nurse_ and out here I get to be a _doctor_. Made the move pretty easy if you ask me.”

“I see…” T’Pring said softly, which she did. Humans had such odd concepts of what women could do, especially in a city. “And you?” She asked, turning to the other woman, Rand.

“Me?” Rand asked, her spanish was accented, telling T’Pring that she had likely grown up speaking only English until recently. “I’m from Kentucky. My husband got it in his mind to move out west. The whole ‘manifest destiny’ bull-shit and dragged me along with him. We got as far as Colorado and, well,” she smirked and it was sharp, worryingly so, “those Rocky’s can be _really_ treacherous when you don’t know what you are doing.”

T’Pring blinked slowly at that before looking away. “I see. And you?” She turned her attention back to the woman who had first approached her.

“Me?” Uhura asked, drink halfway to her lips before she gave a one shoulder shrug, “I’m from here. Born and raised. Dad was a freed slave and mom’s from Isleta pueblo. They met out here and, well, here I am.” Uhura took a long drink of her beer. “And you? You’ve got our backstories now. I think it’s a fair trade to get yours.” 

T’Pring paused, thinking before nodding, “I was to be wed and I did not believe the match to be an advantageous one for me. So I left.”

“Let me guess:” Chapel spoke up, smiling widely “he ugly?”

“His...appearance had little to do with my decision.” T’Pring admitted, looking away with a slight blush that she could not keep from her face, “Indeed it was his...gender that drove me away.”

“Ah.” The whole table spoke at once and, when she looked back she saw all of them holding up their glasses as Rand spoke, “well in that case my dear you are in _good_ company.”

T’Pring only hesitated a moment before lifting her own glass.

“Here here!” Chapel cheered as the glasses clinked together “To loving women, in all the ways that means!” 

There was a noise at the door of someone coming in then, a slight draft of the colder October air making its way through. T’Pring thought nothing of it until the sound of boots on hardwood approached her table.

“What are you cheering ladies?” A man’s voice spoke up and T’Pring looked up to see a tanned man leaning slightly over the table, a white cowboy hat upon his head and a dusty yellow shirt buttoned high up on his neck with a bolo tie holding it in place. His attention was on Uhura, not her, which put her a little more at ease, but not by much.

“Loving women.” Came Uhura’s reply, she sounded annoyed but not upset as she turned to look at the newcomer.

“Ah, well then, to loving women.” he agreed, stealing Uhura’s glass and taking a drink. T’Pring tensed but Uhura just snorted and rolled her eyes as the glass was put back down in front of her. 

“Why are you here Jim?” She asked, confirming T’Prings suspicion that she knew this man. 

“I live around here.” He answered but when Uhura gave him an unimpressed look he shrugged and added on “and I need to ask you something.”

“You going to pay me for it?” Uhura shot back but she turned her body in his direction, obviously curious.

“I can if you want.” Jim agreed, “It wasn’t the best year for cattle sells, but I can probably scrape something up for your trouble.”

T’Pring watches as Uhura seemed to think this over for a second

##### Alambre

“We’ve got a fence.” Were Jim’s first words to her as soon as they made it outside. He handed her a cigarette as they went, lighting them up for both of them. The smoke and their breath both curling into the night air.

“Again?” She asked, looking out at the clear sky above the city and keeping her voice low as they started to walk the dirt roads.

“Ya,” Jim grumbled next to her, “they don’t seem to be getting the hint, or words not getting out, and you _know_ how they are at the Governors.” He kicked a rock and it went skittering off in front of them, “All the damn red tape they put out so they can get away with selling off _our_ community land.” He huffed, taking a long drag of his cigarette. “As if the land grant is bad!” He exclaimed up into the night sky, “‘Has to be in English’ my ass! What the hell did they expect when they took up a _mexican_ territory.”

“It’s just the Gringos damn way of stealing our land and putting their own on it.” Uhura replied, it’s not like she’s not familiar with the process. “They’re already screwing over all the people that are working the rail lines by paying them shit for their work. They are using all of us as if we’re nothing.”

“I know. I _know_ . I just-ugh!” Jim threw up his hands next to her, sending ash from his cigarette flying through the air, bright red in the night, before tossing the whole thing and stomping it out as they both came to a stop, “Did you know they tried to pull the ‘translation is just taking a while’ bull crap? As if I didn’t provide them with your damn translation, which we _both_ know is perfect!”

“Ya well, speaking five different languages only gets you so far with those bastards.” She ground her teeth, turning her head up to look at the stars, “I wish I could go down to Santa Fe myself and yell at them,” she grumbled, “but they’re never going to give me the time of day if they won’t give _you_ it. Mister ‘hair turns golden in the sun’.” 

Jim flinched and took his hat off to run a hand through his hair at that, tussling his now darker locks that still had a bit of sun-bleaching in them just at the edges.

“I wish there was more we could do.” She offered, softer this time to try and comfort Jim’s obvious distress. She knows how hard he has been working to keep the communal land grants in place, but at the end of the day he’s just a Mexican cattle rancher and that’s all the men on top see. If he was white, properly white, they would probably listen, but it’s the ‘Mexican’ part they hate. “I don’t like seeing our community land and water stolen either but they are never going to let us stop them. Not in any legal way at least.”

“Ya.” Jim sighed from next to her, his shoulders slumping down and she pats one lightly, “You already do so much,” he mumbles softly, “I’m so sorry to keep bothering you about this Uhura but...”

“Where are these fences?” She cut in before he can go on.

“Out south, I just came across them this afternoon on my ride, must have just gotten it put up.” He complained lowly. “I swear it wasn’t there last week when we drove the cattle to market. I was surveying the grazing land for the winter and they’ve closed off a big chunk of the community land that we depend on for the cattle.” He paused, hesitating to listen and look around them for a moment before speaking in hushed tones, “I was going to be heading out there tonight. I could use the backup.”

“Damn.” Uhura mumbled, glancing around the dark street as she thought, weighing her options but already knowing what she was going to choose. “Alright. Alright. Me and the girls will be out there soon.”

“Thanks Uhura. I owe you one.” And It was spoken so hopefully that Uhura just had to pull Jim into a tight hug to remind him that he can always count on her.

“I’m doing this for the community,” she mumbled into his shoulder, “same as you Jim. You don’t owe me anything.”

Jim’s arms wrapped around her, tightening the hug for a long moment before they finally broke away. Uhura thought that will be it before Jim’s smile turns a little more sly rather than grateful. “Why don’t you bring that pretty little new dame out with you? She looks like she could use a little adventure.”

Uhura huffed out a laugh, the tension in the air loosening slightly, “She’s not into men Jim.”

“Well then, more men for me.” He winked, “I’ll see you tonight?”

“You Can count on it.” Uhura offered before watching Jim go off. She hummed as she took the last few drags of her own cigarette before throwing it down and stomping it out and heading back towards the saloon.

———

Uhura returned to the bar to find Janice and Christine still chatting with the Vulcan woman and she happily made her way back over.

“You know,” Uhura said as she moved back over to the table and took her seat again, “I don’t think I caught your name ma’am.”

The Vulcan turned her attention back to her, blinking slowly, before nodding in acknowledgment. “My name is T’Pring.” He said clearly, in her voice like distant ringing bells. It’s absolutely beautiful, “I apologize for not stating so earlier.”

“No need to apologize sweetheart, we got around to it eventually.” Uhura assured her as, beside her, Janece shifts closer.

“What did Jim want Uhura?” She asked softly but Uhura is pretty sure that Vulcan hearing far surpasses humans and so it likely doesn’t make a difference. Uhura watched the Vulcan across from her silently for a long moment, studying her as she took up her own glass again and took a slow drink.

“We’ve got wire.” Uhura offered once she had put her glass back down, her eyes still on T’Pring who was taking this all in with a blank expression. “Guess he was out inspecting the winter territories and ran into a fence.”

“Shit.” Janice said under her breath.

“We going to help him do something about it?” Comes Christine's voice from her other side and Uhura finally breaks her gaze away from T’Pring to look over at Christine instead.

“I am.” She said clearly, decisively. “As always it’s up to you girls to decide if you want to join in. I can always go looking for Scotty and Sulu.”

Janice is already shaking her head before she even got the names out, “Now don’t you go bothering the boys. They’ve got enough trouble right now trying to demand better pay for the damn railroad.” She watched Janice sigh and take up her drink, “I’ll head out with you.”

“And I will too.” Christine offered from her other side “I hate when you work with that damned barbed wire at night, you always get into trouble.”

“Where is it that you are all going?” T’Pring’s voice spoke up and both Christine and Janice shoot Uhura knowing looks. They both know she decided to hold this conversation in front of the new girl for a reason. 

Uhura gave T’Pring a calculating look as she leaned back in her chair. “We’re heading out to do some community outreach.” She offered, watching for T’Prings reaction, “You know: making sure everyone here is properly looked after.”

“In the middle of the night?” The Vulcan asked, her head tilting just slightly to her right.

“Best time for it.” Uhura smiled, “it’s not as exciting as it sounds but you’re welcome to come along if you like.” She offered, “Just don’t go involving the Sheriff in any of it and we’ll be on good terms.”

This seemed to bring the woman up short. Uhura watched her hesitate.

“This is illegal.” It’s a statement, not a question.

“Only as much as the Gringos say it is.” Uhura shrugged, “Besides, they’re the ones illegally stealing our land in the first place, we’re just setting the bars straight.”

T’Pring fell into silence one more after that and all three women waited with baited breath for her response.

“...very well.” It finally came, “I will join you.”

##### La Noche

The ride south is quiet and mostly uneventful but they had had to stop by their little shared living space to get T’Pring a change of clothes: some proper riding gear, along with a hat and a bandana.

“Is this really necessary?” She had asked as Uhura had tied the last one carefully around the lower half of her face before working it down to her neck for safe keeping.

“Trust me. If the sheriff comes around you’ll be happy to have it.” She assured her and T’Pring wasn’t given an opportunity to ask more as she was bundled out the door and up onto a horse.

She had never ridden a horse before but Uhura sat behind her, a cool press of her body against the already cool air, and kept her steady as they went. The whole party chatted softly until they passed the city limits and then they fell silent. It was a silence that T’Pring found she did not wish to break. The air was tense with intent and, while she had understood before that what they had been setting out to do was illegal in the most technical of senses, she truly felt it now in the darkness of the desert. About twenty minutes into their ride they came across another figure on a horse but the women did not slow and after a moment the figure revealed themselves to be the man from the saloon. He smiled in greeting and his smile only grew as he saw T’Pring.

“Jim.” He said, offering his hand but Christine was quick to clear her throat and ‘Jim’s’ hand quickly disappeared back to his reins. “Right. Sorry. It is nice to formally meet you.” He offered a small bow of his head instead and T’Pring nodded her acknowledgment.

“I am T’Pring.” She offered lightly, eyeing the man carefully. The other women seemed at ease around him though, even though he carried a shotgun on his horse and a pistol at his side. She supposed it was no different from anyone else around these parts. A common sight to them all.

“T’Pring. got it.” He smiled before turning to look at the other riders around him, “Well ladies, who is ready to cut some fences?” 

They go off of the trail then and into the brush desert around them. Their horses do not seem to mind but they move slower like this, perhaps because of the darkness or perhaps out of caution. It’s another ten minutes before they reach their destination and behind her Uhura lets out a low whistle.

“How much have they fenced up?” She asked and Jim replied, “Best I can tell? Ten acres. Maybe more.”

T’Pring glanced over the horse's head to see what they were talking about and saw the fence. It was rough, made out of cut wood posts hammered into the ground and wire, barbed and painful looking, wrapped around and around each one. It did not look sturdy but she supposed, with the barbs, it does not need to be. 

Jim dismounted from his horse and moved over to his saddlebags before producing wire cutters, gloves, and a small axe. Around her the other women start to dismount but Uhura stayed behind her.

“I’ll head around to the other end.” She offered. “We both work counterclockwise and We’ll have this done before the sun rises.”

Jim nodded his agreement and handed over a pair of wire cutters to Uhura which Uhura took and placed carefully between both of their bodies.

“You have gloves for her?” Jim asked, indicating to T’Pring.

“And an extra pair on top of that.” T’Pring couldn’t see Uhura’s expression but she thought she might be smiling given that Jim smiled too.

“Alright. Be safe.” He turned away and took up his axe. “Masks up ladies! Let’s get started.”

———

Uhura explained to her what needed to be done and it’s easy work after that to go along the fence and cut the wire between each post while Uhura used her own axe to chop down each post in turn. They cut the wire into small pieces, no more than a few feet in length so they could not be used again, and soon enough the moon is high in the sky and T’Pring finds herself getting lost in the rhythmic ‘thunk, thunk, thunk’ of Uhura’s axe against each wooden post. The work is silent and it’s almost meditative. Calming. But after a while T’Prings curiosity wins out.

“Why is it that we are doing this? If it is illegal?” She asked softly into the night air. It seemed important to keep quiet and soft, as if speaking up would break something between them. It is a silly kind of thought, very human, but she supposed it was for the best if they are trying to prevent detection. She hears Uhura’s chopping pause and then the sound of her putting down her axe, a ‘thump’ as it hits the sand. 

“Well,” She heard Uhura start, breathing hard, and she is reminded that Humans do not have the same strength or stamina of Vulcans. Perhaps she will suggest that they switch jobs. “Not all the laws that are put in place are meant to help everyone. Usually they are meant to help a very few people and leave everyone else in the dirt.” She explained as T’Pring turned to look at her. “This area,” She waved her hand, “As you know since you’re from out west, wasn’t always part of the _dear_ US of A and it’s been causing us a lot of problems, especially with the land grants.” 

“Yes.” T’Pring answered, though she knew a question had not been spoken, “We too have found dealing with the United States system to be...challenging.” She offered, it was true and it was one of the reasons for her fiancé’s very existence. “We had been informed that, with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo we would be awarded our lands with full protection and property rights as we had had with Mexico and yet, in eighteen-fifty-two they demanded that we prove our rights and titles to them. It was...costly to our people.” She admitted softly. She had not yet been alive then, but it was a near enough thing that she and all her people were still suffering the repercussions.

Uhura nodded at that and clicked her tongue. Her horse, which had been resting not far away, stood and came over to them. T’Pring watched as Uhura lightly pet the animal, maybe drawing comfort from it. “It’s the same out here in New Mexico.” Uhura finally offered after a moment, “Said they would honor our land grants but then they find out that the land hadn’t been awarded to individuals but whole communities.” She grumbled in anger, “Apparently sharing resources was a foreign concept to the gringos and they didn’t know what to do with it. How dare we have community grazing and hunting lands! How dare we share our water rights!” She snorted before sighing, her shoulder slumping slightly.

“They’ve been using that to deny us our land ever since. Costing us time and money in every way, and while they’ve got us all tangled up in the courts, there have been fellow New Mexican’s, the rich ones, who have been taking advantage of it all. Painting themselves as Gringo’s as if that will get them a seat at the table. They go around claiming the community land as their own and sell it to the actual Gringo’s to use.” She indicates to the fence around them. “The real Gringo’s are happy to take advantage of it too. I think they are all hoping that they can get enough of their lot out here to start swaying the vote. To get us to stop demanding so much. They aren't much happy that we keep insisting on being able to keep speaking Spanish out here, much less us natives getting to keep our language too. They don’t like that we demand our rights, us ‘mexican’s’ and ‘indians’ that they see so below them.” She lets out a bitter laugh. 

“Did you know that’s why they split the New Mexico and Arizona territories like they did? Arizona had the Gringo’s.” her smile turned bitter and T'Pring watched in fascination at the openness of her emotions, “They had planned to split us north and south, but in the end they realized that if they split us east and west they could have a nice white English speaking territory and just contain all us undesirables out here.” She frowned, her fingers running through her horse's mane, “I don’t trust them and you shouldn’t either. They twist their laws and rules to suit them. They’ll figure out a way to make us all Gringo’s eventually, or they’ll just kill us. That’s how they work.”

T’Pring swallowed at that but did not argue. There was silence for a long moment before she finally brought herself to speak. “I have already seen such as you say in action,” she admitted sadly, “less than ten years ago. It had been determined that the state of California where my people reside would be multilingual, and yet, in eighteen-seventy-eight this was overturned and it was determined that the state was to be english only. It-” She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, “It was due to the large number of American immigrants that came to the area. 

They re-defined those of us, both Human and Vulcan, as foreigners for we did not speak the English language at the time. With the English-Only rule they made it impossible for anyone but the American’s to take part in the law and the government and, in doing so, took over the highest branches to change the policies in place.” She had personally seen the changes go up, seen the way people had struggled under this new forced rule, but her people had done little to nothing to fight it when they could, and by the time they could it had been too late. 

The Vulcan people of California lived mostly in isolation away from the Humans as much as possible and tried to work as little with the governments of the land as they could. They had not fought back. Not in any substantial way. Instead they had tried for peaceful resolutions, attempted negotiations that went in circles and led to nothing, arranged marriages that were meant to bridge the gaps but that all knew were meaningless.

She looked down at the wire cutters in her hands and thought for a long moment before turning and continuing her work. 

Her people had done nothing when it had mattered most, but she was not her people and here was something she could do.

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like to watch a very short 8 min documentary on the Las Gorras Blancas you can do it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgNoeKVUkLA
> 
> If you would like to read up more on the history covered in this story here are some additional sources for reading:  
> Las Gorras Blancas  
> https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/santa-fe-ring-ruler-of-the-territory/article_05868b85-08ab-5c13-af40-47268ec7bda5.html  
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Gorras_Blancas - revolt against the Santa Fe ring  
> https://www.unm.edu/~dcorreia/David_Correia/Research_files/Correia_GorrasBlancas_RHR.pdf  
> https://newmexicohistory.org/2013/11/04/las-gorras-blancas-of-san-miguel-county/  
> https://www.filepicker.io/api/file/pWF9UUR0TqeUwp1S450B  
> http://nativeamericannetroots.net/diary/1906  
> https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1854&context=nmlr
> 
> On California and becoming an ‘English Only’ state:  
> http://www.languagepolicy.net/archives/nm-con.htm  
> https://www.ssc.wisc.edu/soc/racepoliticsjustice/2017/07/12/what-the-treaty-of-guadalupe-actually-says/


End file.
